


All Those People in Those Old Photographs I've Seen are Dead

by TheSeerOfTime



Series: Crossover AU [2]
Category: Black Parade (Album), Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Album), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Battery City, Battery Just Needs A Hug, Gen, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, My AU, Some Timeskips, a lot of people die, also everyone has killjoy names so like, and i'm glad for that this is really good in my opinion, crossover AU, it might be confusing at times who's who, not my writing, posting for a friend, this is long, yo so like my friend doesn't have an ao3 account so they gave me permission to post this on mine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-03
Updated: 2015-07-03
Packaged: 2018-04-07 11:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4262376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSeerOfTime/pseuds/TheSeerOfTime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written by a Tumblr friend, who doesn't have an AO3 account, so I'm putting up on mine!<br/>The title is from "The Kids Aren't Alright" by Fall Out Boy, which is the song that this was written to.</p><p>~</p><p>The backstory of one Battery Urgency. Nothing more, nothing less.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Those People in Those Old Photographs I've Seen are Dead

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, quick list of everyone within this.
> 
> Battery Urgency: Cryaotic  
> Electric Affair: Felix/Pewds  
> Transmission Diamond: Anthony [Smosh]  
> Ritalin Diamond: Ian [Smosh]  
> Exterminator After: Arin [Game Grumps]  
> Cellophane Kilo: Danny [Game Grumps]  
> Decrepit Engineer: Markiplier  
> Tonic Fracture: Yamimash  
> Septic Rush: Jacksepticeye  
> Wonder Wreck: Wade  
> Unyielding Heist: Bob
> 
> In case anyone would like to know!

Cryaotic was born with a mask on, as his parents would often say. 

  
Both of his parents were Killjoys that lived in a shady house on the outskirts of the city. BL/ind workers would often come into their house which would force the family down into the cellar to hide until the danger left. This happened more often than Cryaotic would like to admit. 

  
The neighborhood was full of below average—if not abandoned, homes. During the Better Living Industries takeover, people who tried to rebel were forced into this neighborhood and away from the “pristine perfection” of Battery City. 

  
Eventually Korse ordered the Dracs to force the rebelling people to the desert where he hoped they would die out in the weather. Unfortunately for him, this only brought the anarchist together for their cause and survival; together the Killjoys were formed. 

  
However, some of the Killjoys return to their roots, Cryaotic’s parents are in this case. The couple couldn’t raise a child in a desert, even though many had; the parents couldn’t bear the idea of being on the run with their child. So the two returned to one of the abandoned houses and made their home from there. 

Cryaotic’s father got a factory job under the ruse that he was “Bl/ind”; he took sugar pills to keep up with his guise in front of his Co-workers. Of course it wasn’t hard to fool them; they were so far gone already, all they knew was apathy and foggy emotions. 

Cryaotic’s father would always arrive home after work bitter and angry—he had to witness what happened to people who submitted to Bl/ind, the horror of being reduced to emotionless pawns. The anger only fueled his desire to protect his family at all costs.

So when Cryaotic was old enough to understand, his parent’s explained:

“You are a Killjoy; you’re born with your mask on.”

“Your birth certificate has your legal name, but that’s not who you are.”

“Come up with your name and we’ll call you that from now on.”

“Better Living Industries gets its power and information by names, if they don’t know who you are then they can’t hurt you, son.”

This was lectured to Cryaotic’s on his fifth birthday when he opened his present and inside was a plain black mask that covered his eyes. It took a week and a half until Cryaotic decided on the name “ChaoticMonkei”. 

By the time Cryaotic was seven he learned where are all the good hiding places in the neighborhood were, he knew how to shoot a laser gun, and kept flash bombs on hand in case of disaster. Armed and ready, Cryaotic’s parents allowed their son to explore the city while they went to work—father’s income wasn’t enough to support the three of them, his mother needed to work as well. 

Cryaotic was ecstatic to finally be out and about by himself, yet he was equally as terrified to be alone.

Kicking a lone spray-paint can he wandered the ghost town, hood pulled over his head and mask on. The air tasted bitter on his tongue and he could feel sweat trickle down his back through his hoodie. 

‘Being outside sucks.’ Cryaotic concluded, however the small bit of freedom was enough to keep him going. Well, as much freedom as he was allowed, his parents were very strict that he should not go to the edge of the neighborhood where the risk of being seen by a passerby and reported to Bl/ind increases. 

“Hey!” A voice cut through the dead silence of the city and Cryaotic nearly jumped out of his skin, heart pounding against his ribcage. Immediately on instincts Cry grabbed his gun and held it out in front of him. It was only a KO laser, but he hoped the fear would drive the intruder away.

“Wh..! H-hey don’t shoot!” The voice squeaked, throwing his arms in the air. Cryaotic squinted behind his mask, it was a boy—someone who looked to be at around the same age as him. Cryaotic slowly lowered his gun, finger still resting near the trigger; his parents taught him to never let his guard down.

  
“What are you doing here?” Cryaotic asked, trying to keep his voice neutral, but there was no mistaking it—the boy had pristine white clothes with the Bl/ind logo printed on the left side of the shirt. His father warned him about the color white. The boy looked sheepish, staring at his shoes, (Cryaotic noticed they were untarnished and gleaming white, as opposed to his dirty ragged sneakers).

“I was…dared to go into the spooky ghost town.” He mumbled in a small voice and Cryaotic squinted at him suspiciously.

  
“Dared?”

 

“Dared!” The blonde boy perked up causing Cryaotic to tense. “Marzia—my friend—she dared me to go into this spooky place!” He gave Cryaotic a lopsided grin. “And I did it! So hah! I win the dare!”

Cryaotic only blinked, he wasn’t sure how to react. He wasn’t used to someone with so much energy, let alone talking to someone his own age. The boy was looking at him with wide blue eyes, as if waiting for a sign of acknowledgment. 

“Uhm. Well. You win?” He stumbled over his words and then it ended up sounding like a hesitant question. But the other boy didn’t seem to mind, only beamed a bright smile.

“Hah! I even found a friend in this spooky ghost town–” The blond boy stopped midsentence and gaped, Cryaotic searched his face trying to read his expression.  “Unless you ARE a ghost?! Are you a ghost?!” 

“I’m not a ghost!” Cryaotic retorted, “I’m alive and–” His sentence was cut short by a beeping coming from the boy’s bracelet. 

“Awww maaaaaan….” The boy through his head back and whined, “I gotta take my medicine.” He silenced the beeping and pulled out a tube-like container from his pocket, the ever present Bl/ind logo on it. The blond boy shook out a couple of pills into his hand and then produced a water bottle from his backpack. 

  
Cryaotic started in horror, this boy was WILLINGLY taking those pills?! He had heard his father yelling about them, how they messed with a person’s head and turned them into robots. Without a moment’s hesitation Cryaotic slapped the pills out of the other boy’s hands, knocking them to the ground.

“Hey! What the heck was that?!” He shouted, brows pitching in anger. “I gotta take those!” The boy reached into his pocket to pull out the tube of medicine but Cryaotic stopped him with a grab of his wrist.

“Don’t.” Cryaotic said sternly, his tone lowering as if he was afraid someone would hear him. He looked around cautiously before continuing. “Those are bad for you, they turn you into robots!”

“Robots?!” The other looked horrified at the thought, but then confusion over took his expression and he frowned. “But mum and dad says they’re good for me, that everyone takes them so I gotta take ‘em too.”

Cryaotic shuddered, if his father was here he would surely lecture the boy about the pills. “Don’t…they make you feel different?” he asked hesitantly. 

The boy scratched his cheek and tilted his head in thought. “Well, they make me sleepy and foggy. But my mum says that’s what it’s supposed to do, and when you get older it gets better!”

Cryaotic felt his stomach turn, this was the “brainwashing” his father told him about. The other was about his age and full of life, and he was going to lose it if he kept taking those pills. 

  
“It doesn’t get better.” Cryaotic said quietly, letting go of the blond boy’s wrist. “It only gets worse…that’s what my mom said.” He bit his lip, he wasn’t sure how to convince the boy not to take the pills and then, the idea struck him. 

“Hey.”

The blond boy perked at attention, staring at Cryaotic with large blue eyes expectantly. 

“I dare you not to take your pills for a week!” 

The blond boy gasped in surprise, and then was quickly replaced with a wide grin. “You’re on!” He stuck his hand out to the other. Cryaotic started at his hand with caution, not wanting to dirty his hand with his own. But before he could draw his hand back the Blond boy grabbed it and gave it a firm shake. 

“I’m Felix, by the way!” He stated after he let go of Cryaotic’s hand. The other paused, lips pursed in a fine line. 

“I’m…ChaoticMonkei” he replied and Felix gasped out loud.

“That’s so cool! Are you a super hero? You look like one with the mask ‘n stuff.” He snickered, eyes gleaming with mirth. Cryaotic smiled a quiet smile and chuckled.

“Something like that!”

The two boys talked until the sky was painted in vivid reds and oranges, and the sun started sinking toward the ground; suddenly Felix gasped and called across the deserted playground. “I have to go Monkei!” The blond boy climbed down the slide and scrambled to get his backpack. “I forgot about Marzia! Aaaah! She’s gonna be so worried! I gotta go fast!”

Cryaotic couldn’t stop the chuckle at watching his friend run around in a flurry. But he hopped off the monkey bars and jogged toward Felix. “Hey, uhm. Felix.”

“Wh?” Was all the other could manage as he grabbed his things and slung his backpack over his shoulder. 

“Don’t…tell anyone about me, okay?” Cryaotic murmured, suspicion creeping up the back of his head.

“I won’t!” Felix promised and made an “x” over his heart. “Super heroes gotta keep their secret identity and stuff right?” He grinned widely and Cryaotic smiled in return. 

“Yeah.”

That evening Cryaoic return to his fanatic parents who hugged him tight and kissed his head, at the same time scolded him on how worried they were about him. They ate dinner and that night with a stomach full of beans and roasted chicken that tasted dry, Cryaotic wondered if Felix would keep his word about his dare. 

~

On the fourth floor of an apartment complex in Battery City, a blond boy talked about his adventure with Marzia and how he was covered in red marks from tripping and NOT for ditching Marzia and worrying her for hours. Nope. Not at all. 

His parents reacted stiffly to his story, simply telling him to “be careful next time” and continued to eat dinner. For the first time Felix stared at his parents, thinking about what ChaoticMonkei said about becoming “robots”. He was sure his parents were real! They ate and breathed and if they got hurt they’d bruise and bleed. But, Felix also couldn’t deny that sometimes his parents did act like cold robots. 

So later that night, after he was sure his parents were asleep, Felix took all of his pills for the month and flushed them away. He went to bed with mixed emotions of disappointed his parents at the same time making his new super hero friend proud. Evidently he preferred the rush of knowing he did something others considered “bad”. And that made him feel awesome. 

~

Felix and Cryaotic became fast friends after that. They would meet up in the broken neighborhood and explore abandoned buildings or play tag in the streets. Sometimes they would talk until the sun began to set and the two would have to depart to return home. Cryaotic’s parents were suspicious that their son was seeing someone, but Cryaotic was too afraid to talk about Felix; he thought his parents would forbid him to talk to Felix anymore, especially if they knew he lived in Battery City.

It wasn’t until Cryaotic was ten that he finally talked about his friend. It was while his father was at work and his mom had to stay home due to pregnancy.  Cryaotic told her about how they met and how he stopped Felix from taking anymore pills. He told the story with trepidation but his mother only smiled kindly and ruffled his hair. 

“You saved someone’s life, son. I’m so proud of you.”

Unknowing to young Cryaotic, those words from his mother will get him through the darkest of times in the future. 

When his father came home after work Cryaotic retold the tale to his father and his worn face lit up with pride and he pulled his son into a bear-hug. 

“I’m so, so proud of you.” He had said, and Cryaotic’s chest swelled with warmth at the praise from his parents. He was only ten years old and they told him he saved a life. From then on Cryaotic would do anything he can to save a life.

 _‘Even if it’s just slapping some pills out of an idiot’s hand,’_  he thought fondly. 

~

The two boys didn’t have their first fight until Cryaotic was thirteen. The masked boy was sitting at the old playground, swinging his legs off the top of the monkey bars. As usual he waited for Felix to finish up with school and meet him at this spot. Cryaotic hated school days because Felix would be so exhausted between homework and seven hours of hearing teachers lecture him that the blond friend would always be lacking energy for playing.   
Cryaotic didn’t mind if they played in the abandoned buildings or just sat around and talked for hours; he was just glad to spend time with Felix.   
Excitement immediately pulsed through him when he saw his friend approach the playground, however his smile faded and the greeting died on his lips when he notice Felix’s expression.

The blond’s jaw was set and his shoulders tense, brows pinched in what Cryaotic identified as anger. Cryaotic climbed down from the monkey bars, his shoes landing with a thump as he shuffled over to Felix. 

“’Sup?” Cryaotic offered up, hands in his hoodie pocket. Felix was closer now, and he could see the burning rage across his face. 

“Don’t ‘sup’ me, Cry!” Felix snarled, teeth clenched. Cryaotic was reminded that he had changed his name and now wore a plain white mask with two circles for eyes and a smile that covered his entire face. “Why didn’t tell me you were one of THEM?!” 

Cryaotic felt a chill down his spine and he swallowed the lump gathering in his throat. “Tell you what..?” he replied, deciding to play dumb despite the fact that he knew what Felix was talking about.

“You’re…you’re a Killjoy…!” He whispered as if it was sin to speak the name out loud. Cryaotic’s lips tightened into a fine line, which went unnoticed by Felix. 

“Well yeah. I thought the shitty clothes and mask made it obvious.” The masked adolescent couldn’t keep the bitterness from in his voice. Apparently that was the wrong answer because Felix’s steely-blue eyes only squinted in his irate. 

“Well. I mean. Christ Cry!” Felix stumbled over his words, trying to collect his thoughts by running a hand through his hair. “Killjoys are criminals! They kill people! They break windows and take hostages! They’re the reason we have electric gates around the city! To keep them out!” He vented, waving his arms with exaggerated gestures. Cryaotic felt his bitterness resurface into anger, his could his friend be so ignorant?! Killjoys are the BAD GUYS? Cryaotic let out a dark laugh. 

“Jesus Felix you got it backwards! Bl/ind are the bad guys. You got them screwing around with your head again? Is that what they’re teaching you in school?” Once again, Cryaotic realizes he might’ve said the wrong thing, because Felix looked absolutely offended that Cry would even suggest that his thoughts weren’t his own. In a fit of anger Felix shoved Cryaotic causing the other to stumble back. 

“Shut up! Shut up! All the teachers, everyone in Battery City says that they are liars and want to cause chaos!” Realization dawned on Felix and he stepped back from Cryaotic in horror. “What if you’re just losing me for your…your…Killjoy agenda-thing!” Cryaotic could’ve laughed at how ridiculous that sounded, but the real fear on his friend’s face made him bite down on his words.

“Felix…I swear to god, hurting you is the last thing I want to do. The Killjoys want to help.” Cryaotic recalled his parent’s praise for helping Felix all those years ago. There was no way that what he was doing was bad. He was  _helping_. 

Felix balled his fists and gritted out through clenched teeth. “How do I know that’s true? How can I trust what you’re saying? You just wear that stupid mask all the time! You could be grinning or fuckin’ with me behind that stupid face!” he seethed, icy blue eyes glaring daggers at Cryaotic. 

The Killjoy looked taken back, he wore his mask so often—the only times it was taken off was to shower and sleep, other than that it was always present. It stopped being a mask to him and became his identity. 

  
Now that identity was causing a rift between him and his best friend, the fear of driving Felix away clutched at his chest like a frozen claw. Aside from his parents and little brother, Felix was the most important person to him. 

“I’ll…I’ll tell you how serious I am.” Cryaotic finally spoke, his glove-clad hands reached up toward his mask and Felix’s eyes widen. He took off his mask and held it in his right hand by the string, locking eyes with Felix. “I’m serious dude, I would never do anything to hurt you. The  _killjoys_  would never do anything to hurt anyone.”

Felix was at lost for words, all he could do was stare at his best friend and taken in ever crevice of his face. In the school books he read it stated that Killjoys had some sacred thing with their masks and personas, so having Cry take off his mask to Felix, it meant that he was serious. Cryaotic however took the stunned silence as a rejection.

  
“ _Please_ buddy. You gotta believe me.” Cry’s brows pushed together and Felix was just in  _awe_  that he could see Cry’s expression with his own eyes—Felix idly noted how his friend had clear blue eyes as well. “One day, I’m gonna have to leave with the ‘rents, and I’m not gonna be around. I don’t want Bl/ind to take you.” Cryaotic swallowed the dread gathering in his throat as he spoke. Felix ran a hand through his blond hair, exhaling through his nose. 

  
“I believe you Cry.” He finally said; Cryaotic was grateful that his hesitation was gone. “I just…I dunno man, there is a lot of shitty things that people say about them…”

  
Cryaotic winced, squinting one eye and giving Felix a sheepish smile. “Yeah. That’s part of the whole brainwashing thing. ” He chuckled and rubbed his shoulder. “You know, I can tell you about the Killjoys and who they really are. And you should bring your text book so I can tell you how wrong it is.” Felix couldn’t help but to laugh at that, giving Cry a side grin.

  
“You damn right I will!”

  
So that evening Cryaotic and Felix found refuge in an old bakery and Cryaotic told his friend all about the Killjoys; having heard all about them from his parents, we was easily able to retell it to Felix. And the whole time his friend watched him with blue eyes full of wonder; not only for the exciting tale but also because Cryaotic kept his mask off the whole time he told it. 

  
When the two departed it was obvious to the both of them that their friendship was only forged deeper after the fight. Cryaotic had told Felix some personal information and the blond swore it to secrecy. Cryaotic has also decided to not tell his parents about taking off his mask at all, it was a secret between him and Felix.

Of course, Felix wasn’t all that surprise that when he saw Cryaotic the next day with his mask back on. But he didn’t pry, didn’t question or complain, he just pulled out his text book with a smirk.

“Ready for a good laugh?” 

~

The dispute between Better Living Industries and the Killjoys seemed to increase as time went on and eventually three years later hit a startling peak. The broken neighborhood had Draculoids scouting the streets and SCARECROWS positioned at the boarders when night fell. Cryaotic and his little brother were no longer safe to explore the city until evening as they used to, and their parents had to be back before the SCARECROW unit could initiate a search. 

  
Cryaotic could no longer see Felix during the week, only on the weekends and even then their visits were too short and full of paranoia. 

  
For Cryaotic’s sixteenth birthday that year his parents got him a laser gun with no stun option, only kill.

~

A month after Cryaotic’s eighteenth birthday, his parents decided that Cry and his little brother were old enough to travel in the desert with the other Killjoys.

“It’s just not safe anymore, son…”

“I know you’re going to miss your friend, but, you’ll make new ones.”

“We just want you and your little brother to be safe.” They had said. Cryaotic didn’t disagree with his parents but it didn’t stop him from leaving the house despite the time. 

Cryaotic felt the news lay over him like a sheet of ice, he felt cold and numb despite the peaking summer heat. It was a Saturday evening and not surprising Felix was waiting for him at the playground. 

“Hey,” Felix greeted with a smile and looked around briefly. “A little late aren’t ya? We should be going back home soo–”

“I’m leaving tomorrow.” Was all Cryaotic had to say to get Felix to close his mouth. 

“Leaving? Like…” 

“I’m going to live in the fucking desert with other Killjoys.” He kept his tone neutral; his fists balled up and shoved deeply into his hoodie pocket. 

“S-shit…” Felix breathed out, “does this mean I’m never going to see you again?” The hurt in Felix’s voice made Cryaotic grateful that he wore a mask; he could feel the sting of tears at the corners of his eyes. 

“Yeah. Probably.” He tried to stay strong and hide the quiver in his voice with a cough. “But I. Uh. Want you to meet my parents and little brother. I mean, if that’s not weird or anything.” He added with a shrug, trying to seem nonchalant about it. Felix managed to force on a teasing smirk and lightly punch Cryaotic’s arm.

“Oh? Shouldn’t you take me out to dinner first before I meet the in-laws?” Cry couldn’t hold back the laugh and he shoved Felix’s shoulder. 

“Shut up dude! I just, they wanna meet you okay? You’re like my only friend and they want to make sure I didn’t imagine you or anything.”

“You parents think you’d have an imaginary friend for eleven years? Must be the summer heat getting to them!” Felix replied with a cheeky grin.  Cryaotic rolled his eyes with a chuckle. 

“Fuck off and come meet my family you idiot.” Cryaotic snorted with a grin and lead the way to his house. By the time they reached the decrepit building the orange and yellows from the sky began to wash out into murky blue, Cryaotic cursed under his breath. “Oh boy, they’re gonna be pissed off…” Felix shrugged sheepishly in response. 

  
“Well I can just text my mum and tell her I’m spending the night at a friend’s house? So you don’t gotta worry about me walking by myself, yeah?” He offered. Cryaotic rolled his shoulders in a vague gesture. 

“Eh, we’ll see how the ‘rents feel about it.” Cryaotic said as he opened the unlocked door and stepped into the dark house. “Weird…” he mused. 

“What?”

“Usually we have some lights on…it’s never this dark.” Anxiety bubbled up his chest and made his breath hitch in his throat. Something was wrong. “Dad..?” Cryaotic asked hesitantly into the empty space. 

**“Report status: Two have been exterminated. One had fled.”**

Cryaotic nearly jumped out of his skin when Felix grabbed his arm.   
“Cry..?” His voice came out a whisper. Cryaotic was frozen in place, chest rising and falling in his panic. 

  
From around the corner a person in an all-white suit and vampire mask walks passed them with a body slung over their shoulder, one Cryaotic could identify even in the dark.

  
“MOM!” His voice came back and he moved on instinct, shoving his elbow into the Draculoid’s stomach. The Darc’s body crumpled to their knees and his mother’s body rolled over across the floor and suddenly the stench of singed flesh hit Cryaotic’s nose. Without missing a beat Cryaotic struck the Draculoid while they were down and repeatedly kicked them in the stomach in a frenzy of panic and rage. 

  
Cryaotic didn’t realize he was screaming until another Draculoid entered the room and spoke into their watch.

  
**“Requesting back up, there is another here. Drac1035 is down. Drac1036 Requesting back up.”**

  
“CRY!” Felix shouted over Cryaotic and grabbed his friend’s shoulder. “We have to leave right now!”

  
“FUCK YOU!” Cryaotic screamed and shoved him off, shoulders shaking with his erratic breathing. Suddenly the room was lit briefly with the beam of a laser and another agonizing cry ripped from Cryaoitc’s throat, only this time it was for a different reason.  He collapsed on the ground clutching his arm where the laser grazed him; he could already feel the second degree burn forming if the heat against his palm was any indicator. 

  
“No, FUCK YOU!” With that Cryaoitc assumed Felix was going to ditch him and leave him to die, it wouldn’t surprise him to be honest. His dad told him stories of Killjoys abandoning their companions during a firefight. Instead of hearing retreating footsteps he felt arms wrap around his torso and his feet dragging across the floor. 

  
“At least work with me here, man!” Felix snapped, “Pick up your fuckin’  _feet_!” His voice raised an octave in his panic. Cryaotic willed his limbs to function and wrapped his arm around Felix’s shoulders while his shot arm dangled at his side uselessly. The two teenagers sprinted out of the house while being chased by laser fire, as they got further and further from the house all Cryaotic could do was sob into Felix’s shoulder repeating again and again:

  
“Mom…d-dad…my little brother…”

  
 All the while Felix would mutter out short words of comfort that could do nothing to help Cry. Guilt threatened to weigh down Felix’s running, but by sheer will and adrenaline he kept up his pace, going straight to the apartment he shared with Marzia. 

“M-my whole fuckin’ family…G-god…my  _whole fuckin’ family_ …” Cryaotic continued to babble between sobs, Felix was grateful he stopped screaming at least; attention from the patrons was the last thing they needed. Felix tried to be as quiet as possible but the deadbolt on the door decided to announce their presence with a loud CLICK. 

  
“Felix..?” Marzia’s sleepy voice rang out and she shuffled out of their bedroom in a big t-shirt and sleep shorts. The blond cursed inwardly and held his breath when Marzia let out a soft gasp.

  
“What the—Felix! What the  _hell_  did you do?!” She ran up to Cryaotic and touched his shoulder, the other flinching from her hand as another wave of sobs raked through his body. “Oh my god, he’s bleeding! Felix! Go get the first aid-kid!” She demanded and Felix started at her in bewilderedness. He was sure she was going to flip her shit about bringing a sobbing double-fugitive (strike one for being a Killjoy and strike two for beating a Draculoid into a bloody pulp) into their apartment. 

  
“FELIX KJELLBERG YOU GET THAT FIRST AID KIT THIS INSTANT!” Snapping out of his thoughts he propped up Cryaotic on the couch then sprinted to the kitchen and shuffled around the cabinets for the kit frantically as if his ass was on fire. Which it might as well have been once Marzia was worked up. 

  
Cryaoitic was completely unaware of his surroundings, all he knew is that when Felix left the room his panic was reignited and his breathing became quick and erratic.

“Felix?! FELIX!” He began to raise his voice and Marzia sat beside him on the couch, hand hovering over him, not quite sure how the other would feel about physical contact, especially during what she can only describe as a panic attack. 

Felix scrambled back with the first aid kit and rested his hand on Cry’s unwounded arm. “Hey bro, I’m here. Relax, it’s okay, I’m here Cry.” He murmured, keeping his voice leveled and calm as he could despite how on edge he felt.  Hearing Felix’s voice and feeling his hand on him was enough to ground Cryaotic and bring him down from the rising panic that tried to consume him.  

  
“Cry..?” Marzia inquired, “as in THE ‘Cryaotic’? The one you keep ditching me for?” Her lips turned into a playful smirk when Felix flushed and adverted his eyes. “I’m kidding, babe! I’m…I’m glad to finally meet him.” She said in a soft and fond voice. 

  
“Pretty shitty first impression huh? Crying and bleeding all over the place.” Felix offered a weak smile as he unraveled some bandages and pulled out some antiseptic spray. Marzia lightly slapped his shoulder.

  
“Hey! At least I got to meet him! You’d been hiding him since you were seven, I waited long enough!” She huffed out, but was still grinning. “Your best friend you keep talking about.” Her eyes clouded over and she covered her mouth with her knuckles, shifting her gaze between the two of them. “…Do I dare ask what happened..?” Felix swallowed and shook his head, Cryaotic let out a shuddering sob. 

“Tomorrow.” Felix muttered and looked at Cryaotic. “Alright bro, I’m gonna need you to take off your jacket…” When Felix reached out to help him Cryaotic swatted his hand away.

“M’got it.” Mumbled the Killjoy as he fumbled with the pullover hoodie, taking it off while his mask was still on; Felix could see on his girlfriend’s face that she was going to suggest something about the mask but he quickly snuffed out the suggestion with a wide blue stare, shaking his head. It proved to be a hassle and borderline painful to watch his friend struggle with the hoodie and then curse when the fabric brushed over his gaping wound. 

“Listen—” Felix began but stopped short when the mask pulled up at the bottom and the blond could see dried blood crusting over Cryaotic’s chin along with the gleam of his damp cheeks. “Listen…” he tried again, “Why don’t you take a shower and then we’ll patch ya up, alright?”

Cryaotic looked absolutely exhausted just by his body language; chest rising and falling with each shaky breath, the muscles in his wounded arm twitching under his elbow-length sleeve shirt. Felix was almost sure that Cryaotic didn’t hear him and was about to repeat himself when Cry spoke.

“Alright.” He stood up on shaky legs and Felix stood up as well, “It’s fine. I got this.” Cryaotic said his voice stern and neutral. Felix hated when he did that.

“I don’t doubt that.” Felix retorted stiffly, “But I need to show you where it is, and give you a change of clothes.” He walked his friend to the bathroom and then went to his own bedroom to whipped together a clump of spare clothes that Cryaotic can choose from. “Here you go bro, I got some shirts and shorts, also some boxers? I dunno, you’re like my brother so I don’t care if you wear….” Felix’s rambling ceased when he returned to the bathroom; Cry was standing in the middle of the bathroom and staring at his reflection in the mirror. When Felix closed his mouth Cryaotic turned only his head to face his friend slow and deliberately; the gesture paired up with Cryaotic’s unblinking mask made for a very eerie sight. The blond slowly put the clothes on the counter, he waited and waited for Cryaotic to speak up but the masked teenager said nothing. 

“S-so…” his voice cracked out of nervousness and he ran a hand through his hair. “Have a good shower–”

“My whole family is dead.” Cryaotic whispered in a low voice that sent chills down Felix’s spine and accompanied by the unwavering stare from his masked friend, he felt a real prickle of fear in the back of his head.

“Cry—”

“Get out. I want to shower.” 

Felix wasted no time leaving his friend and closing the door behind him. He let out a shaky sigh, resting his back against the door. He still had goosebumps from that tone, he couldn’t even identify the emotion behind it just…Cry’s voice sounded so broken and full of resignation, Felix never heard anything like it ever.  With a full body shudder he rubbed his arms and plopped down on the sofa with Marzia, immediately resting his head on her shoulder. 

Wordlessly she opened her arm out and wrapped it around Felix, combing through blond locks with her fingers. “I know you said morning, but Felix…I need to know…” She murmured quietly, resting her cheek against his head. Felix sighed heavily, closing his eyes.

“Fiiine…” he whined, “but I’m not going crazy detailed okay? Take what you get.”

Marzia smiled and kissed the top of his head. “I’m fine with that babe.”   
So while Felix recounted a purposely vague tale of  _Cryaotic the Killjoy and How Felix Witnessed the Murder of Cry’s Family, Followed By A Kickass Escape Sprint to Battery City_. It was a grim story, but he was going to add any bit of lightness to it, for Marzia’s sake as well as his own. 

Down the hall Cryaotic had stripped down to only his mask, he really didn’t want to take it off; he knew his face would look like hell and wasn’t ready to face it. His mask can tolerate a watery beating after all, he made it waterproof in case it rained in the desert, of course that was unlikely but better safe than sorry. With a quivering breath he pulled up his mask and set it gently on the counter as if it were a prize artifact. (It might as well be).

Cryaotic touched his chin, he hadn’t realized he bit him lip open nor did he imagine it would bleed that much. He then looked at his eyes, which were now glossy and red-rimmed from tears, his cheeks sticky and puffy from crying and—He adverted his eyes and looked at his wound, finally able to look at it without the obscurity of his mask. 

“Shit…” He breathed; the skin was blistered and black around the edges of an angry red burn, it radiated heat just like the sunburn he got as a kid and oh god the smell was  _awful_ , the scent of burning flesh—

  
His train of thought immediately ceased as he blinked and saw a flashback of his mother, her hair matted and burned with a gaping wound at her temple. Cryaotic felt his stomach clench and a cold sweat break out across his skin; the Killjoy fumbled with the toilet lid and emptied the contents of his stomach. Retching and sputtering, a fresh wave of tears overcame him and he slumped against the toilet, shaking violently as he rapidly blinked to rid the image that decided to sear itself behind his eyelids. 

  
It took a few minutes to collect himself but eventually Cryaotic flushed the toilet and stepped into the shower.  He hissed in pain when the water hit the wound but the relief of fresh water on his skin was worth the pain, idly he noted that his foot hurt and could see the begins of a few bruises blooming over his toes. It was satisfying to know he beat the shit out of Drac so violently that he hurt himself in the process. 

Most of his shower was spent curled up on the tile floor crying quietly while the scalding water pelted his back.

If Marzia and Felix heard him crying they didn’t say anything, but Felix did manage a comment when Cryaotic emerged from the bathroom wearing one of Felix’s shirt and some pajama pants with various soda logos on them.

“Lookin’ good, where’d you get those sweet threads?” Felix said playfully, using that silly voice that usually cheers Cry up.

“Can I go to bed?” He asked flatly. Felix’s playful tone sobered up and he frowned. 

“Uh. Yeah. You can have the couch, Marzia and I will go back to our room.” He gently shook Marzia who had fallen asleep on his shoulder. “Hey babe, get up.” He murmured. Marzia yawned and rubbed her eyes. When she opened them again she saw Cryaotic and felt a wave of grief wash over her, eyes watering up once more. 

“Oh Cry…”

 The masked teen made no acknowledge that he heard her, only waited for them to move so he could have the couch. Felix kneeled down besides the couch and gently put his hand on Cry’s arm and pulled the sleeve up with the other. The wound was starting to clot, which he assumed was a good sign and he looked at Cryaotic. 

“Can I..?”

The other grunted in reply, keeping his back toward Felix as the blond sprayed some of the medicine on the wound, apologizing when he saw his friend wince, and then started to wrap the bandages around his arm until it looked secured and compressed. When Felix finished he stood up, giving his friend the usual affectionate ruffle of dark locks. 

“G’night Cry.” He said with a small smile and walked toward the bedroom, taking Marzia’s hand on the way. 

“Wait,” she whisper and went to the hall closet and pulled out a spare blanket, “Cry, would you like a blanket? It gets cold in here sometimes…”

“No.” His voice cut through and Marzia frowned, setting the blanket on the arm of the couch anyway just in case he changed his mind. “Sleep well, Cry.” With those final words the lights were shut off and the couple went to their bedroom. 

That night no one slept well, each of the three residents waking up at different hours of the night either from nightmares or from crying. 

~ 

Cryaotic awoke to the sounds of the TV and a heavy weight on his chest. A groggy groan escaped from his raw throat and suddenly his mask was assaulted by licks and wet snorting. 

“Th’ hell..?” Cryaotic blinked wearily through his mask, then cursing when he tried to move his arm.

“Edgar! Get off him!” Felix’s voice rang out from the kitchen and immediately the weight lifts off his chest and the sound of clicking against tile follows it. 

“Is that a dog..? I thought pets weren’t allowed in Batter City?” Cryaotic mumbled tiredly as he sat up, pulling his mask out enough to rub the sleep from his eyes. Blearily blinking, he noticed that at some point the blanket was thrown over him. 

Felix chuckled and shrugged, “Well, about that. Marzia found him in the alleyway across the street and she brought him in, didn’t even ask me!”

  
“You weren’t even home!” She snipped back at him as she poured some Bl/ind brand coffee into three mugs. “Besides, as soon as you saw his cute little face you were  _smitten_!”  Felix looked away bashfully with a wide grin. 

  
“Well, you aren’t  _wrong_.”

  
Cryaotic looked at the chubby black dog with a squished in face. He supposed it was cute…in some weird dog way. 

  
The morning was ‘artificially calming’, Cryaotic thought. After the act of violence he witnessed yesterday and having his entire life do a 180 he expected some kind of impending doom to strike. 

  
He felt like this was only the beginning of a terrible path, a part of him shouldn’t be surprise—it was the ‘fabulous’ life of the Killjoys after all. He might as well enjoy the morning for all it’s worth.  

  
 After breakfast was prepared the three of them squished together on the couch and ate their egg and cheese sandwiches while Felix flipped through the channels. 

  
It was a boring Bl/ind approved cartoon in black and white but Cryaotic was absolutely transfixed on it. 

  
“What do you mean you never owned a TV?” Asked Felix in wide-eyed shock, as if he was absolutely offended that his best friend didn’t spend his childhood burning shitty cartoons into his retinas like he did. 

“Buddy, electricity didn’t run to my part of town. I was lucky to have at least running water.” Cryaotic answered without removing his gaze from the TV. “I don’t think I missed out on anything. All of these channels suck.”

“Honestly the only channel people care about is the news,” She said, trying not to make eye contact with Edgar’s big, sad, begging stare. 

As if on cue, the cartoon was cut short with an emergency broadcast. 

_**“Attention citizens of Battery City: Last night on the boarder of Zone 01 an incident occurred.”** _

Cryaotic paused mid-bite and exchanged looks with Felix, the room went dead silent aside from the drone of the TV. 

  
_**“Three ‘Killjoys’ were found hiding on the outskirts of the city, two Daculoids lost their life, however two of the three were also exterminated in the process.”**_  A grey-scale picture of a male and female Killjoy were shown on screen with a large ‘X’ over their faces and a bar with “EXTERMINATED” written over their eyes. Cryaotic dropped his plate and food—much to Edgar’s delight—and tremors started raking through his body. Felix’s tongue felt thick in his mouth and his throat tightly closed, all he could do was press his shoulder comfortingly to Cryaotic’s. 

  
_**“The whereabouts of the third Killjoy are unknown. The SCARECROW unit is currently combing through the outskirts of Battery City for any indicator of where the Killjoy went. Draculoids were unable to identify the Killjoy because of the mask but they are presumably male and possibly a child about the age of seven of eight.”** _

  
Cryaotic whispered something under his breath and Felix cocked his head to the side. 

  
“What was that..?”

“My brother. That’s my little fuckin’ brother they’re talking about,” He stood up quickly and grabbed his jacket. “I have to go, that’s my brother, my only family. I have to go.” 

Marzia grabbed his arm before he could leave and stared at him harshly, “You can barely move your arm Cry! And don’t think I didn’t notice you limping; your foot is injured too isn’t it?”

“So what?” Cryaotic snapped back at her, “He’s my family and he’s probably all alone and scared. I have to find him!”

“You’re not going to get very far with that limp! Wait until you recovered before—”

“It’ll be too late by then!” Cryaotic’s voice rose and he stepped up to Marzia and eyed her challengingly through his mask.

“GUYS!” Felix shouted over them, apparently having said it twice already without the two arguing realizing it. “There’s more…” The hesitation in Felix’s voice made the two stop and look at the TV.

 _ **“….and from eyewitness accounts as well as confirmation from on-site Draculoids that there are two more Killjoys who have taken refuge in Battery City. According to the descriptions of witnesses that wish to remain anonymous here are virtual drawings of their profiles.”**_  Pictures of Cryaotic’s smiling mask showed up as well as Felix. 

 

“Oh my god.” Felix choked out. 

  
_**“The maskless Killjoy was seen running with the other Killjoy down North Street and to Sunshine Road. The maskless Killjoy was identified as Felix Kjellberg, male, age 17, the son of—”** _

  
Felix turned off the TV and stared with horror at Marzia and Cryaotic, mouth hanging open. “Oh my god.” He said again, scrubbing his face with his hands. Marzia’s face was identical to Felix’s, hand covering her mouth in shock as tears gathered at the sides of her eyes. 

 

“Fuck.” Cryaotic hissed in frustration, grabbing at his dark hair in anger. He knew it! It was too calm, of course this would happen. “We have to go.” He grabbed Felix’s wrist and pulled him up, “pack your shit up we’re leaving.”

“What?!” Marzia shrieked, “You’re going to go out there while you’re injured in broad  _stinkin’_  daylight?!”

“Yes.” Cry answered briskly. “If we stay here they’re going to find us and then we’ll all die. Come on Felix.” His friend only continued to stare numbly at his hands, blue eyes wide. 

“I’m…a fugitive?” Cryaotic didn’t have time to deal with this culture shock, they had to get moving. 

“Welcome to the fabulous lives of the Killjoys, we’ll make you a mask and new identity later.” He stated, sarcasm dripping off of each word. 

“C-can we at least talk about it?” Marzia plead, kicking and screaming wasn’t the way to talk to Cry, so she tried a different approach. 

“Bro, we really needa talk about this…” The blond pulled his wrist away from Cryaotic and looked at him seriously. Between their two stares Cryaotic caved in and paced around the room.

“Talk? Okay let’s talk.” Cryaotic’s tone was sharp and steely like a knife directed at the two of them.

“If you and Felix have to go…I want you guys to be prepared for the Zones…” Marzia started slowly, waver in her voice was obvious as was the threat of tears in her eyes. Felix slipped his hand into hers and she squeezed it tight. “I’ll go to the store…buy some supplies for you both. The desert is harsh and I d-don’t,” her voice cracked and Marzia had to squeeze her eyes shut, “Don’t want anything to happen to you both.” Felix squeezed her hand and then brought it up to his lips to kiss it softly. 

“Thank you Marzi, you really are too good for me, you know that?” Felix murmured in a voice uncharacteristically soft.

“I-i know…” She laughed as tears started to spill over her eyes and she rested her head on the crook of his neck. Felix turned on the couch and brought Marzia into a tight hug, committing it to memory. 

“I love you, god, I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” Replied Marzia as she brought Felix’s face close and kissed him softly. 

Cryaotic only continued pacing around the room in an attempt to collect his thoughts. Too much was happening all at once and there was no way he could even begin to make sense of it right now. But for starters, let’s make a list: His parents were killed, his brother’s location is unknown, he’s fuckin’ wanted across Battery City and he managed to fuck up so badly that his best friend has to suffer through it. 

_Better Living Industries gets its power and information by names, if they don’t know who you are then they can’t hurt you, son._

  
Cryaotic recalls what he’s dad said years ago when he first was told to come up with an alias. Now he got to see the power Better Living Industries held over people from their names. They couldn’t even identify his little brother by face or name, while they were able to pull up all kinds of information on Felix. By the time Cryaotic zoned back into the present situation at hand Felix was tapping his shoulder.

“Hey, Marzia is leaving now. We should pack up clothes and food ‘n stuff.” He suggested and Cryaotic nodded in agreement. 

“Alright.”

~

By the time Marzia returned and helped the two pack up as much as they could carry it was late afternoon, the sky slowly bleeding into the warm sunbursts of early evening. Cryaotic was ready with his bag, due to his injury Felix was forced to carry the bulk of it all. 

“Just you wait Marzi, I’m going to come back buff and strong, I’ll be able to carry you on one bicep!” Felix bragged with a wide grin, flexing his arms and almost toppling over. Marzia caught him by the backpack strap and smiled.

“You better! I expect you home, ruggedly handsome and tan from being out in the desert!” She teased and kisses him softly. Felix held her close, resting his cheek on her hair. 

“I’ll come back for you, I promise.” He whispered.

  
“Please do.” She replied, voice quivering again but she swallowed her tears. “Cry?”

Cryaotic turned to face her, head tilted in question.

“Make sure Felix doesn’t get into too much trouble. Okay?” She playfully wagged her finger at him, “I don’t want him to bury himself in the sand or eat a poison cactus.”

“Whaaaat?” Felix’s voice went up a pitch and he mocked offense. “You think I would eat the poison cactus? Please babe, I’m better than that!”

Cryaotic forced out a chuckle and grinned, “Please. How much more trouble can he get into now?” He wanted it to come off as a joke but the situation was still too soon and maybe it was a little in bad taste.

“….Maybe if I ate a poisoned cactus?” Felix offered with a lopsided grin and Cry couldn’t help but to let out an amused snort at his reply. Marzia hugged them both and let out a heavy sigh.

“Well,” she started, “This is it. You boys better leave; security gets tight around here after dark.”

“We’ll come back alright? I promise. Maybe I’ll even bring home a friend for Edgar.” Felix added with a grin. 

“You better! Little Edgar is pouting in our room because he knows you’re leaving again.” Marzia laughed, the sides of her eyes crinkling in mirth, “You’re going to have to make it up to him with lots of belly rubs and head scratches!” Felix laughed with her.

“I can’t back outta that, can I?” He kissed her one last time and then followed Cryaotic outside and into a destination unknown. 

Unknowing to the three, friction in Battery City will get worse during their leave; Scarecrows will have the entire city blocked off and prevent anyone from entering or leaving unless they had standardized Bl/ind identification. 

  
The next time she will see either of them would be years later, and it will only be Cryaotic with the worse news possible for her. 

~

“Hey Cry, my parents are probably asleep right now.”

“So what? We don’t have time to stop. We’re about to reach the edge of Battery City.”

“I dunno bro, I think this will come in handy…”

“Dude. Your parents work for Bl/ind, if they see you they will sell you the fuck out.”

“Harsh! My parents love me; I’m still their only son!”

“Only fugitive son.”

“C’moooon, trust me bro.”

“…Alright.”

~

Felix returned from his parent’s house with two Scarecrow masks and two Bl/ind ID badges. 

“Huh.” Cryaotic mused, “These probably will come in handy.”

“Told ya~” 

“Shut up.” He jabbed his friend in the ribs, if anything to wipe away that stupid smug grin off his face.

Cryaotic had to admit; if he had to be on the run, he’s glad Felix is in this with him. 

~

The first night of camping wasn’t so bad, the pitched a tent near an abandoned van that was worn down by the desert wind, they cracked open cans of beans and talked under the stars. 

They could almost pretend that this was a camping trip between friends rather than their new lifestyle. 

The fourth night was agony for Cryaotic, he had gotten sand in his healing wound and it became infected.

“I don’t want to die Felix, oh god I don’t want to die.” Cryaotic panicked, gripping his throbbing arm tightly. 

“You aren’t gonna die, you got this, we got this. And I have this.” He opens the first aid kit and goes to work on removing the bloody bandages and cleaning the wound out. 

The first week came and went; followed by another and another, eventually the pair stopped keeping track of them. 

A month went by with the two of them supporting each other all the way. On nights where Cryaotic had nightmares Felix would hold him and tell him funny stories to keep his mind off the memories. And when Felix started getting frustrated with their lack of destination and his melancholy over missing his girlfriend, Cry would talk to him and let him vent until his friend felt better.

  
While Cryaotic’s heart still felt heavy with guilt for dragging Felix with him into this lifestyle, he was glad his best friend was at his side—and Felix seemed to share the mutual feelings as well. 

~~

“We have to make you a mask, stat.“

“With what? Sand? There isn’t much out here to use!“

A pause as the two friends considered their options.

“What did you use to make your mask Cry?“

“It’s a secret. Besides, we’re not going to find the materials here.”

“So what are we going to do? You said I needed a mask.”

“Well…I guess this will have to do for now.”

“…Is that a bag of Doritos?”

“ _Empty_  bag of Doritos. You like blue don’t you?”

“Ugh! My mask is going to be a bag of Doritos?!”

“Yes.Your name can be Cool Ranch now.”

“Cry! That sucks though!”

“Then come up with a better one. Now hold still so I can cut this right.”

~~

“So about my killjoy name…”

“Oh my god. Not this again.”

“I got a good one! I swear!”

“Okay. Whatever you say  _Ravenous Duck_.”

“Fuck you! That name is great!”

“Sure.”

A pause.

“So? What’s the name. Don’t leave me hanging.”

“I was thinking…PewDiePie. What do ya think?”

Another pause. The two looked at each other for a beat and then suddenly burst out laughing.

“Alright, alright! You’re right! That’s a dumb name!” 

“Better luck next time, Ducky.”

“…Are we really going with Ravenous Duck?”

“Hell no. Think again.”

“God! Do all Killjoys have so many  _ruuules_?”

“I dunno. Probably? We gotta meet some of them.”

A heavy silence sinks between them. Uncertainty hung between them and a question on both of their minds clawed behind their teeth. 

“…When will we meet the others?” 

“Other Killjoys?”

“Yeah…I thought they’d be, y’know, crawling around the desert all over the place like _zambies_.”

“Buddy. We’re supposed to be in hiding, Killjoys don’t just wander the desert looking for trouble.”

“That doesn’t answer my question Cry! Are we going to find other Killjoys?”

“Eventually—Hey! Don’t cuddle me I’m sunburned!”

“But the desert gets coooold at night…”

“Ugh…I can’t believe I have to be the adult here.”

“…Your sunburn makes you a perfect heater—Ahahah! Don’t hit me! I’m kidding! I’m kidding!”

~

Two days later Cryaotic and Felix get what they asked for, neither of them ready for the hurricane of excitement that buzzed around them upon meeting fellow Killjoys.

“Crrrrryyyy….” Felix whined, wiping sweat from his forehead. “I think I’m having that hallucination thing we talked about earlier.”

“A mirage?” Cryaotic replied, lifting his mask up at the chin so he could cool his face down. 

“Yeah that! ‘Cause I think I see a diner up ahead.” Cryaotic looked at his friend doubtfully, though maybe it wasn’t entirely far-fetched. They were walking along a road after all, and five hours ago they found an abandoned gas station and raided it for scraps (the find ended pitiful, with only a couple bags of stale chips and a hot bottle of blue raspberry PowerAde.) 

“Where—Holy shit.” Cryaotic slapped Felix’s chest. “Dude. That  _is_  a diner.”

“No shit?!” Felix perked up, his eyes wide and excited. “What the hell are we doing standing around? Let’s go check it out! You think they’ll serve us pancakes?”

  
Cryaotic rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Yeah. And then afterwards they’ll pull up a truck load of ice cream and we’ll have a party.”

“Ice cream in the middle of the desert? C’mon Cry that’ll never happen!” Felix laughed and started sprinting ahead, Cryaotic couldn’t help but to grin, his friend’s energy infecting him.

When they reached the diner they were not expecting to make eye-contact with two other mask-clad people. 

“Ah…” One of them said.

“Oh.” Felix replied. 

“Awkward…” said the other. 

“We’re sorry. We thought this place was abandoned, we didn’t mean to barge into your home. We can leave—” Cryaotic began explaining but what stopped by one of the Killjoy’s waving his hands.

“What are you talking about?! Leave?!”

“Holy shit, Kilo and Ex are gonna be SO excited to see more Killjoys!”

“Hooooold on a minute.” The taller one said, wagging his finger at the two of them. “You guys are Killjoys right.”

“Well yeah!” Felix answered before Cryaotic could, “Can’t you see our masks?”

The two looked between each other a grinned. 

“That’s your mask?”

“I thought some trash got stuck to your face!”

“Ooooooooooo! Got ‘em!” The two shared a perfectly in-sync high five and then grinned at the two of them. 

“Alright, so you guys are Killjoys.”

“I’m Transmission Diamond, and this is Ritalin Diamond.” The taller one—Transmission Diamond, said as he gestured between the two of them. Cryaotic opened his mouth to give out his name but then stopped. He liked the name Cryaotic, but he was starting a new life with new people. Cryaotic was a Killjoy that had a family, had a little brother. Now he was going to be someone else; someone who only had Felix. 

“I’m…Battery,” He cursed inwardly, his life in Battery City will never leave him will it? “…Urgency. Battery Urgency.” He concluded. Felix started at him aghast. Battery knew his friend well enough to read the expression as:  _‘DUDE, how can you make that name up on the spot and not give me a name earlier!?’_

“Nice to meet ya!” Ritalin Diamond stuck out his hand and shook Battery’s hand with an exaggerated wave of his arm. 

“How about you?” He asked with a grin, looking at Felix. The blond looked at his friend helplessly; Battery quickly took a glance around the room for any inspiration. 

“His name is…Electric,”  _Good start, keep it going_. “Affair.”  _What._

  
“What.” Transmission said. Felix—now dubbed Electric Affair, as quick and adaptable as he was took what Battery gave him in stride. 

“Electric Affair is right!” He slung an arm around Cryaotic’s shoulder, “Battery Urgency and Electric Affair, working together to  _electrify_  those Dracs!” He winked and Battery was mortified.  But the Diamonds duo absolutely  _lost it_ , the two of them howling with laughter.

  
“Holy shit that was SO bad!” Transmission snorted, arms wrapped around his stomach.

“I’m so glad these two showed up. They’re hilarious already!” Ritalin agreed, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “Wait till Kilo and Ex come back, you’re gonna love ‘em!”

So the four Killjoy’s chatted with each other, trading facts and information about each other, eventually all four of them simultaneously agreed that Electric needed a new mask and quick. 

“Do you want to smell like Cool Ranch Doritos for the rest of your life?” Transmission asked, cocking his head to the side.

“I dunno, I kinda like the perfume of Cool Ranch, but I think Electric is more of a Nacho Cheese kinda person.” Ritalin grinned, tapping his cheek as he feigned deep thought.

“Shuddup! It was Cr-Battery’s idea!” Electric wailed, throwing his hands in the air. Battery only shrug in response. 

“Sometimes you have to improvise.” He said simply, the two Diamond’s nodded in agreement.

“Yup.”

“It’s true.”

“You guys suck!” Moaned Electric as he flopped back against the booth. “So mean! I just became a Killjoy recently!” The two Diamonds gasped at the news. 

“Holy shit! You’re just a Moterbaby right now!”

“Hahah, little baby Killjoy!” Ritalin and Transmission were relentless with their teasing and Electric only wailed more; shouting “SO MEAN!” at the two. 

Battery felt a weight lift off his shoulders that he never realized was there. He enjoyed Felix’s company, after all he was the only friend he ever had, but he knew Felix was popular and had many friends; he figured Felix would eventually get tired of only him as his sole company if Felix was to stay with him any longer.

Of course his best friend wouldn’t get tired of him, but with new people and friends to interact with it gave them both some fresh company to talk to.

~

Hours later the two other members showed up—Cellophane Kilo and Exterminator After—with food and board games. The two of them welcomed the new additions with eager smiles and open arms. Ex even heard of Battery; (“I mean, I heard about you on the radio. Along with some Maskless Killjoy.”)

Ritalin giggled at the thought of a ‘Naked’ Killjoy running around and Transmission elbowed him. 

And just like that, the group of four became a group of six. 

~*~

“So. Uh. Guess what?” Battery whispered into his watch. 

“Do I want to know?” Electric replied, Battery can almost see the arch of his eyebrows just by his voice.

“I might’ve gotten into a mess.”

“Wow! You broke into a Bl/ind building and now you’re in a mess? Go figure!” Electric’s tone was sarcastic but Battery could hear the grin in his voice.

“Obviously not in enough trouble if you’re able to communicate to us.” Kilo snickered over one of the lines.

“Okay. It’s not that bad. You see. I found a guy strapped to a chair—he’s not a Killjoy, but I’m thinking we should rescue him. And I need someone to create a diversion so I can break him out.” Explained Battery as he peered into the room where said person was in. He was wearing the Bl/ind mask and with his fake badge present he looked just like one of the same workers that droned around the building.

“Distraction? We can do distractions!” Transmission stated and Battery could almost see the manic grins on both of the Diamond’s faces. It was only a matter of time before an alarm went off and demanded all units to go to particular sector of the building. 

 _A sector that was going to look like a hurricane ripped through it._  Battery thought with a smirk and opened the door while the employees were in a panic. 

“Get the FUCK away from me!” The prisoner sneered, baring his teeth. 

“Hey buddy I’m here to break you out.” Battery pulled up the mask enough to show off a smile and then use his stolen Bl/ind card key to release the captive person. 

“Wha..? This is some kinda trap, ain’t it?” The man prodded warily, rubbing his wrists once he was free.

“Nope.” Battery replied and grabbed the other’s sleeve and dragged him down the hallway.

It had had been two years since Battery and Electric joined up with the other Killjoys, and once the six of them figured out how to work together and communicate, the heists began. They went on missions regularly—whether it was to raid a Bl/ind owned businesses for supplies, to fuck with Dracs who stepped on their turf, or to free captive people from Bl/ind. As was in this case. 

“What the fuck is goin’ on here?!” The captive shouted over the alarms as he was dragged away by a lunatic in Bl/ind attire. 

“A diversion, feat the double trouble of the Killjoys.” Answered Battery with a grin, he was proud to call those rambunctious morons his friends. 

“Killjoys? As in THE killjoys with the masks and stuff?”

“The very same.” 

“Holy Shite.”

“A proper reaction.” Battery chuckled. 

“You guys busted this place up to rescue me?” The man asked in awe.

“Well…” Battery began, making a vague gesture with his hand and shrugging. “I came here to break out another Killjoy—already got them out and free,” The Killjoy spoke proudly, “But you looked like someone who needed help too.”

“Ya damn RIGHT!” The irate returned to the other’s icy blue eyes and he snarled, “Some asshole tried to shove some pills down my throat.”

“That blows dude. Did you swallow any?” Battery asked as they sprinted down the stairs, following the exit signs.

“Hell no!” He scowled, “spit ‘em right out after he left! Fuckin’ bastard!” He rubbed his hair subconsciously. 

“Hah, that’s good. You still got your color.” The remark baffled the other and before he could question it a voice rang out from seemingly out of nowhere.

“Bro, where you at? The Diamond duo are in the getaway car.” Electric’s voice sounded from Battery’s watch.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m on my way.” Battery used his shoulder to push open the double doors and gratefully he welcomed the thick desert air into his lungs. “There!” Still keeping the other in tow he ran to the getaway car and jumped on the back of it, dragging the man up with him. The other Killjoys hollered and high-fived each other and Battery, then Ex stepped on the gas and the gang sped out of there before the pigs could come after them.  

“This is friggin’ awesome!” He said with a wide manic grin; a grin that Battery could see on a Killjoy.

“Hey. You thinking of joining? We’re always accepting applications.” Battery offered, holding out a hand.

“Ehm, ya know. I don’t think I can do what you guys do. This breakin’ and enterin’ stuff, I dunno.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and the mannerisms reminded Battery of his best friend when they were younger and Battery told him about the world of the Killjoys, and how his friend was forced from a decent life and wonderful girlfriend because of the life of a Killjoy.

“I understand buddy. It’s not for everyone.” The Killjoy gave the other a couple pats on the shoulder. He wanted to say more, he wanted to tell him about all the tragedies that come in the fine print of being a Killjoy but none of the words would come out. So he just held on tight to the edge of the car and let the other man enjoy the ride. 

Evidently, once Killjoys find their way into your life you can’t shake them off. Years later the man Battery met that day will end up crossing paths with him again, this time as a Killjoy himself. 

~*~

Their group is  _huge_  now, Battery thought as he gazed around at all of his teammates, his friends. Usually they rotate and live at different Killjoy bases so they can get to know each other equally without sticking with the same group of people. This time Battery was with Decrepit Engineer, Wonder Wreck, Tonic Fracture, Cellophane Kilo and of course, Electric Affair. They had been drinking cheap beer and whiskey and Battery would be lying if he said he wasn’t having the time of his life. He thought after his family was killed and he was forced on the run he would never find a home again.

  
But here he is, laughing so hard his lungs feel like they’re going to burst when Engie makes a joke that causes Tonic to snort beer from his nose. 

  
He couldn’t ask for a better home than this. 

~*~

How could Battery forget. He had been too happy for too long it was bound to end sooner or later.

The radio announcement happened at 9:45 am, the group had recently rotated; it was him, Engie, Heist, Ex, and Ritalin. They were sitting in one of the booths and passing around a box of Fruit Loops for breakfast when Dr. Death Defy announced the deaths that happened over night. The group held a moment of silence for the ghosts of the deserts; the silence was not even broken when one familiar name rang out.

_**“Tonic Fracture”** _

Time seemed to stand still; there was a pregnant pause between the Killjoys as they stared at one another, eventually all eyes fell on Engie. The engineer couldn’t even make words, his face crumpled into grief and it wasn’t long before his face was damp with tears and his voice was reduced to a pitiful quiver. Engie was always the one to pick up people when they fell; he did everything he could to make people smile. He was like the sunshine of the group. So it was only right that they returned the favor and comforted Engie in his time of grief. 

How could he forget the shitty side of being a Killjoy?

“If I h-hadn’t convinced him to join…h-he’d still be alive..!” Engie sobbed, burying his face into his hands, pushing his glasses up on the top of his head. 

How could he forget that their lives were constantly in danger?

~

Tonic’s murder was a sombre reminder that they needed to take their work seriously. It’s not always about mindless raids and parties. They’re supposed to be giving hope to the other Killjoys as well as the ones who still had color. It also didn’t help that they have become so big in members and with an infamous reputation to match. Dr. D would have guests call in an tell the radio lines about how they were inspired to do better, how they saved their friends from Bl/ind, how they chose their own paths; all because of their very own Killjoy group. Of course the gang was flattered by the compliments, none of them could have ever imagined meaning so much to people who were essentially strangers to them. But while there were a variety of people that looked up to them, there always has to be a flipside; it also meant many more were eager to go after the bounty on their heads. 

  
It’s no surprise that they were targeted regularly. The group had to move constantly; if they were able to stay in a place longer than three days they were considered lucky.  

  
“We’ve reached top tier wanted now!” Ritalin had joked. 

“Famous like Dr. D? No waaaay!” Transmission replied. 

Despite their new found trepidation, the worst possible thing had happened. 

  
They had gotten a call from via walkie-talkie from Engie at 12:20 in the afternoon.

 _ **“Hey guys! We found a great place in Zone 3 that we can chill at. It’s got two floors so it’s enough room for all of us!”**_  He was excited as ever, and it gave everyone hope. Zone 3 was far enough away from Battery City that they wouldn’t attract too much attention. Maybe they’d get a chance to meet up with the entire group and collect their thoughts? Battery thought that would be the best course of action. 

  
However, they would never get that chance. 

Battery saw the smoke before the building. 

“Holy shite.” Septic Rush gaped, “Somethin’ fuckin’ big happened here.”

  
Next he saw the white and pink car Engie drove; it was absent of passengers. 

“Haha…maybe Electric and Kilo started the bonfire without us?” Ritalin laughed humorlessly, exchanging a terrified look with Transmission. It wasn’t even nighttime, there was no bonfire to be had yet.  

Then Battery heard the screaming. 

“He’s in there! LET ME GO HEIST HE’S FUCKIN’ IN THERE!” Wreck screamed as he thrashed against Heist’s deathgrip around his waist.  

“Let you go and have you burn too?! Not a damn chance you moron!” Heist snapped, gritting his teeth as he bared the punches and kicks. He would sooner be bruised and battered than let his friend run inside there.  

For once, Ritalin and Transmission were lost for words; they could only stare in horror at the enormous flames that licked at the late afternoon sky. It was a disaster that one couldn’t look away from.

Battery looked numbly at the vehicle then to the fire, he could see the skeleton of the building quake under the heat of the flames. It was only a matter of minutes before the entire building collapsed on itself. 

  
This can’t be happening. Not like this. It was never supposed to be this way…

Battery started walking toward the building; Engie was there, Ex, and…oh god. Electric was in there…

Electric was in there. 

His best friend. 

_Felix was in there and he was burning alive._

The sudden realization hit him like a car crash and knocked the breath from his lungs like a sucker punch. 

Without warning he took off into the inferno.

  
“Battery?! What the fuck do you think you’re doing!?” Septic shouted and grabbed the other before he could reach the house.

  
“Get OFF ME.” Battery shrieked, he could barely hear Septic over the ringing in his ears. When Septic didn’t release him Battery pushed him away with a aggressive shove and made another wild sprint toward the building, he could feel the heat through his mask but he sure as fuck didn’t care. His  _best friend_  was burning alive right now. 

  
Septic made another attempt; he leaped out and grabbed Battery’s legs, knocking the other to the ground and while he was down Septic sat on Battery’s back and kept him pinned down by pressing his palms down on the other’s shoulders.

  
“Yer gonna DIE if you go in there! It’s _too fuckin’ late Bat_!” Septic screamed, his voice hoarse from smoke and the tears on his face dried almost instantly from the sheer heat of the fire. 

  
Battery thrashed like a man hysterically trying not to drown in the ocean; someone who desperately wanted to reach the surface, it was right there in front of him after all—but a wave would always come and push him down further. 

The Killjoys can only watch in agonizing horror as the fire raged on and swallowed their teammates, their friends, their family.

There was nothing any of them could do to stop or speed up the process. 

There was not enough water to put a fire out in the desert.

~

Eventually the fire consumed all it could and died out against the blackened sand. Silently the remaining Killjoys scourge for anything, anything at all they could find. Wreck and Heist managed to find the charred head of the animatronic that was Engie’s mask. Wreck was once again brought to tears as he held the bulky mask close, not caring as the ash stained his clothes black.

Battery could find nothing. Nothing at all. His best friend was completely erased from this world without a fuckin’ trace.

“Christ…” Septic whispered out in a harsh rasp. “This was no fuckin’ accident.” He held out a soot covered disc and spit on it, wiping away as much of the black remains as he could, underneath it all he could make out the very distinct Better Living Industries logo. 

 _Of fuckin’ course it wasn’t an accident_. Battery thought bitterly, grinding his teeth. 

Battery stormed away with his head bowed; if someone called out to him he couldn’t hear it through the pounding in his eardrums. 

  
That day would haunt each of them for the rest of their lives. The day the group was split in half.

  
And Battery felt like he personally lost half of himself in that fire. 

  
Even though there were no bodies and no masks, they made grave markers for each of the fallen Killjoys, carving their names on the wooden posts so they would not be forgotten.

  
No one spoke the entire time.

There were no comforting words, no jokes, no empty promises that it would get better.

Only the deafening silence.

~

The silence carried on into dinner, the remaining Killjoys pitched their tents around the vehicles for shelter from the winds. 

No one wanted to talk; no one had anything to say.

What even  _was_  there to say? 

The first one to cut the silence was Heist. He started with clearing his throat to make sure he had their attention before continuing on.

“Wreck and I are leaving tomorrow and we’re taking the Warfstache–” He swallowed, “We’re taking Engie’s car.” 

Just saying his name was enough to bring the mood down several notches.

  
“It’s too dangerous to stay in a big group. This is for the best. You can call us anytime you want to talk. But we need to go our separate ways.” Heist made eye contact with everyone in the group to be sure he made himself clear to each of them. No one had the will nor energy to oppose him.

The next morning Heist was true to his promise. Battery was vaguely aware of hearing a car start up and take off toward the road, but shortly after sleep claimed him once more. 

Being asleep was much easier than coping with reality. 

~

“It’s been a weird month without you, buddy.” Battery said aloud to no one in particular. It was the crack of dawn and he should be waking up Septic soon for his watch duty. 

Ever since the fire their small group was no longer seen as a threat; grief over the  _Fallen Heroes_ swept across the Zones like a dust storm. For weeks other Killjoy’s would give their condolences across the radio waves. 

None of them could stomach it for long. As soon as a quivering sob or wavering voice spoke their friend’s names they do to shut the radio off or change it to some music station–as Septic always suggested. 

After the first few weeks the grievances became less and less common, until they eventually stopped at the end of the month. 

There once large and well known group was nothing more than a Desert Legend now.  

However, their drop off the Wanted Lists didn’t stop them from taking shifts and staying vigil at all hours of the day.

The small group wasn’t going to be caught off-guard again. 

They found refuge in a pseudo-home; ironically an abandoned Denny’s that still had functioning ovens and running water. A bizarre and rare find out in Zone 4, but Battery wasn’t complaining. 

  
“Funny how we end up at a diner again. Seems like some poetic bs to me.” He pauses as if waiting for an answer. “It really sucks you know. Now I got to be the one to tell Marzia that you’ve been ghosted. Dude she’s going to kill me.” Another pause. “You’d think we’ll be able to hang out again in the afterlife?” A humorless chuckle escapes his lips. “What do you think? Do Killjoys go to heaven or Hell, Felix?” The name slipped out of his mouth so easily, as if his friend was there with him again, as if they were gazing up at the rising sun as “Cryaotic” and “Felix” after talking all night. It was so natural and nostalgic that Battery couldn’t hold back a shuddery sob. 

“I miss you Felix, g-god dammit I miss you so fuckin’ badly.” 

Unknowing to Battery, Septic had heard the entire babble. His ears burned with shame; he felt as if he invaded on something private that he had no business listening to. But it was the most he had ever heard Battery speak since the accident.  

 _“At least he’s opening up about it,”_  Septic thought as he closed his eyes, hoping for more shut eye before Battery woke him up,  _“Even if it’s not to any of us.”_

~+~

_Cryaotic woke with a start, tears running down his cheeks and his breathing frantic.  
_

_“Cry…?” Felix mumbled sleepily and rubbing his eyes. Cryaotic pulled off his mask that threaten to stick to his face; he started at Felix with tear-blurred vision and hugged his friend tight.  
_

_“Hey Cry…what’s up? ‘Nother nightmare?” He asked, his voice groggy but slowly he was coming to. He wrapped Cryaotic in a hug and held his friend close. “You wanna talk about it?”  
_

_“I had a dream that you died…” Cryaotic wheezed out painfully, tremors rippling through his body.  
_

_“I hope it was a cool death.” Felix snickered, “like some epic explosion or something!” Cryaotic kneed him in the gut, “N-never mind! Not funny!” the blond gasped out despite his grin, a punchy Cry was better than a sad Cry.  
_

_“It was back at my house,” Cryaotic began with a shaky breath. “I was about to be shot but you shoved me out of the way and took the shot iyourself.” Felix grinned widely.  
_

_“Fuckin’ hell I’m awesome. Definitely better than an explosion! Dying to save you is worth it.”  
_

_Cryaotic opened his mouth to protest but Felix continued speaking, his voice soft. “You saved my life years ago remember? I owe you for that.”  
_

_“I slapped some pills out of your hand. I didn’t take a bullet for you.” Cryaotic said pointedly.  
_

_“Same difference, if you never did that then I wouldn’t be who I am today.  So I’d say I owe you big time!” He chuckled and closed his eyes, the heat from his friend’s body helping him against the chill of the Desert night. It was only comfortable silence after that, Felix almost assumed Cry had passed out, until his friend spoke up.  
_

_“Felix?”  
_

_“Hmm?”  
_

_“Can I tell you something personal?”  
_

_“Oh shucks Cry, I already know you love me!” Felix grinned and Cry kicked his shin. “Ow! Okay! Tell me what’s on your mind, bro?”  
_

_“I just. The dream made me realize. If I die, no one will remember me. I’ll just be…gone. So if I want anyone to know this, it’s gotta be you.”  
_

_Felix blinked, trying to make sense of what Cryaotic was talking about. “What do you mean..?” He asked, the grim topic waking him up a bit.  
_

_“I want to tell you my name.” Cryaotic said with conviction and Felix’s breath hitched in his throat.  
_

_“Hold on, wait a minute and rewind. Bro, I don’t know too much about Killjoy stuff but isn’t the whole ‘legal name’ thing like taboo or something?”  
_

_“It’s not taboo, pre se,” he started, “It’s kinda like, our code. You don’t go around calling people their legal names because you don’t know who can be listening. But you’re my best friend and the last of my family. So I’m gonna tell you it.” Felix nodded dumbly in response, he wasn’t sure what to expect. He felt Cry shift and cup a hand over his ear and whisper his legal name into Felix’s ear. The other couldn’t help but to smirk a bit.  
_

_“Heh, it’s such a plan ‘ol common name!”  
_

_“Yeah.”  
_

_“Cryaotic is much better.”  
_

_“Same.” Cry agreed with a grin, “hey Felix?”_

_“Is this another confession? Oh Cry I never knew you were such a charmer~” Felix grinned and Cry threatened a fate worse than death.”Sorry sorry, I’m sleep high right now. Show me a little mercy?”  
_

_“I just wanted to thank you, for being here. It would suck to deal with this alone.” Cryaotic admitted, browns furrowing.  
_

_“You’re telling me. I’m so glad you’re here! I don’t know what I’d do without a seasoned Killjoy as my guide!”_

_“Probably sucking on some toxic cactus.” Cryaotic joked and Felix made a sound of agreement in response.  
_

_With that off his chest Cryaotic was able to doze off easy with his best friend by his side._

~

_**“I just wanted to save everyone…But I couldn’t even save the person who means most to me.”** _

(FIN)


End file.
